(2020-08-22). Virginia health chief says he will MANDATE coronavirus vaccine, 'strongly opposes' exemptions. rt.com 
Virginia's health commissioner said he will make a coronavirus vaccine legally mandatory for all state residents when one is ready, arguing it will save lives, as critics push back, demanding the right to choose for themselves. | Dr Norman Oliver, who heads up the state's department of health, said he would require all Virginians to get the jab so long as he remains health commissioner when a vaccine is available, "[Covid-19] is…
(2020-08-22). First Person: Pakistan health worker commits to polio fight, despite COVID fears. news.un.org Despite suffering the after-effects of the COVID-19 virus, Husna Gul, a staff member with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Pakistan, is committed to ensuring that as many children as possible are vaccinated against the devastating consequences of polio, which can cause muscle-wasting, paralysis and death.
(2020-08-22). Iran COVID-19 update: 126 deaths, 2,028 cases in 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 22 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry announced 2,028 new cases of infection with the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, putting the total number of cases in the country at 356,792.
(2020-08-22). Hosseini Infants Ceremony marked in Hazrat Masoumeh Mausoleum. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 22 (MNA) — The Hosseini Infancy Ceremony was held at the holy Mausoleum of Hazrat Masoumeh (PBUH) on Sat. on Qom province by fully observing of health protocols and guidelines due to the spread of pandemic in the country.
(2020-08-22). Rouhani thanks 'health defenders' on National Doctors Day. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 22 (MNA) — President Hassan Rouhani congratulated in a message the National Doctors Day to the "heroes who sacrificed their lives to save others".
(2020-08-22). Don't Throw Us Under The Bus! SMART 1741 SF School Bus Drivers Fight For Healthcare. indybay.org The San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Vincent Matthews and the SFUSD school board are taking away healthcare benefits from the SMART 1741 school bus drivers and union members protested on 8/20/20…
(2020-08-22). Philippines reports 4,933 coronavirus infections, 26 deaths. yenisafak.com The Philippines reported 4,933 infections of the new coronavirus on Saturday, the fifth straight day above 4,000, and 26 COVID-19 deaths.In a bulletin, the health ministry said total confirmed cases have increased to 187,249 while confirmed deaths have reached 2,966. The Philippines has the most infections in Southeast Asia, and second-highest number of deaths, behind Indonesia.
(2020-08-22). Turkish dentists say visits safe during COVID-19. yenisafak.com Patients can visit dental hospitals or clinics without worry despite the coronavirus pandemic, a Turkish dentist told Anadolu Agency."Under the control of the Turkish Health Ministry, dental clinics and hospitals have taken advanced level of measures against COVID-19," according to Lutfi Ciftci, chief physician at the Bursa Oral and Dental Health Hospital.Ciftci said they took measures against the virus such as taking temperatures of patients at the entrance, asking if they have any symptoms, hanging information brochures on walls as well as informing them to wear masks and using disinfectants regularly."Consider…
(2020-08-22). [Editorial] Trump versus Biden: a fight for the health of a nation. thelancet.com With only 73 days until Nov 3, the 2020 presidential election in the US has entered a decisive phase with Democratic candidate Joe Biden's announcement of California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. It comes against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic that has revealed a nation of stark inequity, especially in terms of health. Over the past three decades, non-communicable diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases, cancers, neurological disorders, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease have been the predominant causes of death and disability in the US.
(2020-08-22). [Clinical Picture] E-cigarette-induced lung disease: from acute to chronic. thelancet.com A 52-year-old man attended our hospital reporting breathlessness on exertion that had been worsening over the past 2 weeks. He had smoked 20 cigarettes a day for the past 40 years. He had no other symptoms—specifically no systemic or gastrointestinal complaints. The patient had tried to quit smoking 4 months earlier and had started vaping: he had been using commercially available e-cigarettes which did not have any Œî9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) added.
(2020-08-22). [Obituary] William Charles Dement. thelancet.com Founder of sleep medicine. He was born in Wenatchee, WA, USA, on July 29, 1928, and died of cardiovascular disease in Stanford, CA, USA, on June 17, 2020, aged 91 years.
(2020-08-22). [Perspectives] Noni MacDonald: inspirational leader in Canadian and global health. thelancet.com It is not easy to pigeon-hole Noni MacDonald, Professor of Pediatrics at Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS, Canada. Paediatrician, infectious disease specialist, vaccinologist, founder of a paediatrics journal, the first woman in Canada to become Dean of Medicine, and passionate global health advocate, her career has been long and diverse. "My professional life has all been about confronting health problems. In my view, if you don't do something to solve the problem, you end up being part of the problem", she says.
(2020-08-22). [Review] Sex and gender: modifiers of health, disease, and medicine. thelancet.com Clinicians can encounter sex and gender disparities in diagnostic and therapeutic responses. These disparities are noted in epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, disease progression, and response to treatment. This Review discusses the fundamental influences of sex and gender as modifiers of the major causes of death and morbidity. We articulate how the genetic, epigenetic, and hormonal influences of biological sex influence physiology and disease, and how the social constructs of gender affect the behaviour of the community, clinicians, and patients in the health-care system and interact with p…
(2020-08-22). [Correspondence] WSO and WHF joint position statement on population-wide prevention strategies. thelancet.com In 2008, Rod Jackson and colleagues1 proposed that prevention strategies for high-risk cardiovascular disease, based on screening individuals at high risk of cardiovascular disease, would deliver large benefits for the population. Simon Capewell2 cautioned that these strategies could mislead health professionals and politicians into thinking they can tick the box reading mission accomplished and, with screening completed, cardiovascular disease prevention would be resolved. Both sides of this debate were based on assumptions and therefore did not reach consensus, but the high-risk approach to the prevention of ca…
(2020-08-22). [Articles] The Community-Level Interventions for Pre-eclampsia (CLIP) cluster randomised trials in Mozambique, Pakistan, and India: an individual participant-level meta-analysis. thelancet.com The CLIP intervention did not reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes. Future community-level interventions should expand the community health worker workforce, assess general (rather than condition-specific) messaging, and include health system strengthening.
(2020-08-21). Headlines for August 21, 2020. democracynow.org Joe Biden Accepts Presidential Nomination, Pledging End to "Season of Darkness", CDC Director: Up to 60 Million U.S. Residents Were Infected with Coronavirus, White House Declares Teachers "Essential Workers" as Unions Threaten Strikes over Coronavirus, Stock Markets Surge Even as 1.1 Million U.S. Workers File New Unemployment Claims, Protesters Call on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to #MakeBillionairesPay, Postmaster General to Face Congressional Grilling over "Sabotage" of Postal Service, Massive California Wildfires Leave 5 Dead, 700,000 Acres Burned, Steve Bannon Arrested, Charged with Pocketing Private Border W…
(2020-08-21). Federal judge orders second investigation into Virginia immigrant detention center hit by mass outbreak of COVID-19. wsws.org The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found prison staff were refusing to use safety equipment or provide inmates with protection from COVID-19.
(2020-08-21). The Day After Election Day. counterpunch.org 
The view passed down from on high in the U.S. is that elections are the effective and legitimate means of collective decision-making in the realm of the political. Conversely, on matters of war and peace, economic distribution, environmental wellbeing, healthcare, education, housing, and social welfare— the areas where collective outcomes matter, these are either considered
(2020-08-21). How America's Broken Education System Perpetuates Social Injustice. dissidentvoice.org 
Any conditions that compel the teacher to take note of failures rather than of healthy growth give false standards and result in distortion and perversion. — John Dewey,1 Academic Fredrik deBoer has written a book, The Cult of Smart: How Our Broken Education System Perpetuates Social Injustice (All Points Books, 2020), that questions the enormous …
(2020-08-21). Only Medicare For All Can Beat Covid. counterpunch.org 
The horrible irony is that the one candidate, Sanders, who could have done the most good for pandemic victims, lost the race just when he was most needed. Since then his somewhat muted support for Medicare for All and how uniquely helpful it would be at this historic juncture, is dispiriting. The thought that this relative silence originates in a desire not to offend the candidate, Biden, whom he now supports, is downright depressing.
(2020-08-21). WHO chief 'hopes' coronavirus pandemic will end in under TWO YEARS. rt.com 
The Covid-19 crisis is unlikely to be over any time soon, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated, in a not very optimistic prognosis, saying he "hopes" it'll be over in less than two years. | Given the developments of modern technology, the Covid-19 pandemic is likely to end faster than the deadly 1918 outbreak of the Spanish flu, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference in Geneva on Friday. However, the world has become significantly more global since then, which gives the coronavirus "a better chance of spreading," he noted. | At the same time, we also have t…
(2020-08-21). MPs slam ministers for paying 'scant regard' to data protection during pandemic. thecanary.co 
The UK's information rights body must act to ensure the government stops "playing fast and loose" with people's health, it has been claimed.A cross-party group of MPs has written to information commissioner Elizabeth Denham raising concerns over the government's approach to data protection and privacy.In a letter, the group accused ministers of paying "scant regard" to both privacy concerns and data protection duties during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.Government "appears unwilling to understand its legal duties": The group accused the government of engaging with private contractors that have "probl…
(2020-08-21). Love in the time of Coronavirus: We are in this together. mronline.org 
In some ways, it is true that we are in this together. We are all facing a global pandemic. We are keeping the most vulnerable among us safe by trying to follow the advice of public health experts. But, when it comes to looking out for one another's best interests, we are not in this …
(2020-08-21). WHO stresses need for quick action amid reports of fresh COVID-19 outbreaks. news.un.org With several countries experiencing fresh COVID-19 outbreaks after periods of little or no transmission, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday highlighted the need for authorities to be able to move quickly to prevent further spread of the disease.
(2020-08-21). The Burden of the Debt: Lessons for Biden Adviser Ted Kaufman. zcomm.org he idea that we would not address pressing needs, like climate change, child care, and health care because we are concerned about the debt burden is close to crazy. As long as the economy is not near its capacity, there is zero reason not to spend to address these priorities…
(2020-08-21). The Real Problem with COVID-19 Vaccines. globalresearch.ca Before even debating the efficacy, safety, and necessity of different vaccines — one must get past the fact that the most corrupt corporations on Earth hold a monopoly over their development (and the profits made from them). | Forbes in their …
(2020-08-21). Muharram mourning in Mosalla of Tabriz. en.mehrnews.com TABRIZ, Aug. 22 (MNA) — Observing health protocols and social distancing due to coronavirus, a mourning ceremony for Imam Hussein (PBUH), was held on Friday in the Mosalla of Tabriz concurrent with the start of mourning Islamic month of Muharram.
(2020-08-21). Siberian hospital diagnoses Kremlin critic Navalny with metabolic disease. yenisafak.com The head doctor at the Siberian hospital treating Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said on Friday he had been diagnosed with a metabolic disease caused by low blood sugar.Alexander Murakhovsky, the head doctor at the hospital treating Navalny in the city of Omsk, added that traces of industrial chemical substances had been found on the 44-year-old's clothes and fingers.Navalny, a fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin, is in a serious condition after drinking tea on Thursday morning that his allies believe was laced with poison.
(2020-08-21). 'Bangladesh needs other testing methods for COVID-19'. yenisafak.com Experts in Bangladesh suggested that alternative testing methods be introduced alongside the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis amid low COVID-19 testing and sample collection, which has raised fears over the further spread of the deadly disease in the country.The time has come for utilizing antibody and antigen testing to detect the coronavirus as a supporting method as such testing involves less effort and is hassle free, they observed.Bangladesh is now the 16th worst affected country in the world in terms of total infections. Meanwhile, there is an over 20% infection rate in dail…
(2020-08-21). COVID-19 vaccine to seek regulatory review in October. yenisafak.com German-based biotech firm BioNTech announced late Thursday that vaccine candidate for COVID-19 with US drug giant Pfizer was on track for regulatory review as early as October."Assuming clinical success, Pfizer and BioNTech are on track to seek regulatory review of BNT162b2 as early as October 2020," said the company statement."If regulatory authorization or approval is obtained, currently plan to supply up to 100 million doses worldwide by the end of 2020 and approximately 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021," it added.The companies also released additional data from phase 2/3 trial of the BNT162b2 mRNA-based v…
(2020-08-21). Australia: Sharp increase in COVID-19 among Victorian healthcare workers. wsws.org The Victorian Labor government is attempting to downplay the growing number of infected healthcare workers in Melbourne, Australia's second largest city.
(2020-08-21). After Spending Months Denying Need for Testing, Trump Moves to Gut FDA's Oversight Process for Coronavirus Tests. commondreams.org Public health experts on Friday raised alarm over a new policy unveiled by the Health and Human Services Department, blocking the Food and Drug Administration from regulating a number of laboratory tests including those that test for Covid-19. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-21). [Letter] Police use of force during street protests: A pressing public mental health concern. thelancet.com Street protests are a common means of civic expression and occur across the globe. In the past few years, millions of citizens have attended street protests worldwide. Sometimes however, street protests can constitute significantly stressful and violent contexts. Research has highlighted the physical health impact of street protests due to clashes between protesters and law enforcement or use of CS gas [1]. In addition, police use of less-lethal weapons, such as rubber pellet launchers, is known to cause severe ocular injuries [2].
(2020-08-20). Red line? Biden rejects DNC guest Linda Sarsour's endorsement over her 'anti-Semitism' & BDS support. rt.com 
Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden hasn't encountered many far-left policies he won't embrace — from free healthcare for illegal aliens to free college — but he found one leftist supporter he won't abide: Linda Sarsour. | Sarsour, a Muslim activist and co-founder of the Women's March, endorsed Biden last week and spoke on Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention's "Muslim Delegates and Allies Assembly." Biden responded by denouncing her. | "Joe Biden has been a strong supporter of Israel and a vehement opponent of anti-Semitism his entire life, and he obviously condemns [Sarsour's] view…
(2020-08-20). A new rapid spit test for COVID-19 could be the game changer we need. therealnews.com 
Are known cases just the tip of the iceberg? A new test holds promise – and peril – for how we fight back against the disease.
(2020-08-20). Planned Parenthood's Margaret Sanger problem. workers.org 
Planned Parenthood of Greater New York issued a strong statement July 21 that condemned Margaret Sanger's relationship with eugenics theory and practice. "By saying this, we disarm a tool anti-abortion opponents use to shame women of color, especially Black women, from seeking the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health . . . |
(2020-08-20). 'Loneliness epidemic': Half of American singles aren't looking for a relationship or even seeking casual dates, Pew poll shows. rt.com 
Half of single adults in the US aren't looking for casual dates, let alone a committed relationship, reflecting a trend toward more reclusive lifestyles in Japan and other developed nations, a new Pew Research Center poll showed. | Some 50 percent of Americans who aren't in a relationship aren't seeking a
(2020-08-20). Doctors say condition of Moscow protest leader Navalny has stabilized, as Kremlin promises probe if traces of poison are found. rt.com 
The team treating Alexey Navalny has managed to stabilize his condition, a lead medic has said. Dr Anatoly Kalinichenko said Russia's best-known anti-corruption activist was in intensive care and getting the necessary treatment. | The doctor also said there are no plans to transfer Navalny to Moscow. His supporters have requested that be moved to Germany or France so he can be admitted to a specialist clinic. Earlier, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that "if the Kremlin or the Russian Health Ministry received a request for Navalny's transfer to a foreign hospital, it would be considered…
(2020-08-20). Face Masks Pose Serious Risks to the Healthy. globalresearch.ca First published by GR on May 26, 2020 | "By wearing a mask, the exhaled viruses will not be able to escape and will concentrate in the nasal passages, enter the olfactory nerves and travel into the brain." — Russell Blaylock, …
(2020-08-20). Johnson government scraps Public Health England, accelerating break-up of National Health Service. wsws.org The main "crime" of PHE for the ruling elite was that it was part of a "bloated" NHS still not sufficiently responsive to the expertise and "flexibility" of the private sector.
(2020-08-20). 750 Million Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes Approved for Release in Florida Keys. globalresearch.ca The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) yesterday approved the first-ever U.S. release of genetically engineered mosquitoes. Despite public outcry and scientific dispute over the human health and environment risks posed by this field trial, the approval permits the release …
(2020-08-20). The COVID-19 Vaccine. The Imposition of Compulsory Vaccination with a Biometric Health Passport? globalresearch.ca The COVID-19 vaccine… | Is this THE final goal of this crisis, to impose a compulsory vaccination on everyone, with a biometric health passport and without it, the impossibility to move, to buy, to eat? | The near future will tell. | With …
(2020-08-20). University Greed in the Midst of a Global Pandemic. zcomm.org This is the way of the modern University administration—they are sneaky, they are greedy, and they care nothing for the health and safety of their students…
(2020-08-20). The Democratic Platform and Medicare for All: A Nod Is as Good as a Wink (To a Blind Horse). zcomm.org Medicare for All has won the battle of ideas. Now we have to win the battle against entrenched economic and political power.
(2020-08-20). 'Morning People' May Have Higher Genetic Risk of Developing Alzheimer's – Study. sputniknews.com A new study published in the journal Neurology found that "morning people" and people who sleep for shorter durations are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, an illness that destroys memory and other mental functions.
(2020-08-20). For Skeptics and the Curious: RDIF Releases Information On Development of Russia's COVID-19 Vaccine. sputniknews.com According to Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, the organization and its partners have received requests from over 20 countries for a total of 1 billion doses of the coronavirus vaccine.
(2020-08-20). Contact tracing apps 'unlikely to contain Covid-19 spread without support'. thecanary.co Contact tracing apps are unlikely to be effective in reducing the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) unless there is a large-scale uptake by the population and it is supported by other public health control measures, scientists have said. | Their findings, published in the journal Lancet Digital Health, are based on a review of data from 15 scientific studies published between January and mid-April this year. | The researchers, led by University College London, also said evidence on the effectiveness of automated contact tracing systems is limited and there is an "urgent need for further evaluation of these apps".
(2020-08-20). UN health body weighs in on Africa schools reopening. yenisafak.com As schools re-open in many African states, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday stressed the need to continue preventive measures against coronavirus.In a media briefing, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, Africa director of WHO, said the issue needs to be addressed with the same urgency that we have seen in opening up economies and businesses.Moeti said the WHO's advice is to weigh the risks, to use the data on COVID-19 cases in the community to guide decisions on re-opening schools "and to put in place measures to enable physical distancing […] as well as ensuring students wear masks and are able to wash their…
(2020-08-20). Airbnb bans parties in COVID-19 fight. yenisafak.com No more parties and events in homes listed on Airbnb, the short-term home rental company said on Thursday as it tries to enforce strict social-distancing norms to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.The new rules include a cap on occupancy at 16, with hosts or guests who try to skirt the rules facing a ban from Airbnb's community and even legal action, the company said on Thursday."Instituting a global ban on parties and events is in the best interest of public health," Airbnb said in a statement, adding that the ban applies to all future bookings.Airbnb said 73% of its listings globally already ban parties in their hous…
(2020-08-20). Doctors offer contradictory information on condition of Russia's Navalny. yenisafak.com Medics on Thursday provided contradictory information about the health of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, saying his condition had stabilised, but that there was still a threat to his life.His spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, said on Twitter he was in a serious but stable condition.She had earlier said that he was in a coma in a Siberian hospital after drinking a cup of tea that she said she believed was laced with poison.